The day arrived as the sun streamed through the curtains in their bedroom.  Brian wakes, being the early riser of the two.  Looking down at his sleeping partner, he smiles at Justin's softened face peaceful in sleep, and realized he hasn't seen that peaceful look in several weeks.  Justin is usually a happy, carefree man; one who grabs at every new opportunity to add to his life collection of experiences.  Justin interprets his emotions and life's everyday occurrences through his paintings, making sense of the world.  His paintings represent his feelings and are an extension of himself. 

Brian has finally accepted the fact that the events of the last few weeks were just too upsetting for Justin which explains why he cannot create, can't paint. Justin can't bear to transfer his emotions and the events of his life onto a permanent canvas.  Not at this time-this moment.   Maybe in the future when he can look back on the experience; he can depict this time, painting it on canvas, but for now, he needs to protect himself from vulnerability.  Brian imagines when the dust settles, Justin will paint some pieces depicting this nightmare, but to push him to paint at this time is asking him to open a wound that has barely started to scab and he understands this is not an option.  Protecting his partner has always been paramount in their relationship and this time it is no different.  Physical protection is only one cornerstone of the tower; emotional protection is the other cornerstone and one without the other is unacceptable.

Glancing at their bedroom, he sees their furniture, Christopher Coleman originals; the bold colors meeting Justin's desire for a break from his own stark minimalist tendencies.  Admitting their bedroom was pleasing to the eye made Justin supremely smug for a bit once the items were delivered, but he had to admit that Justin's eye for color and design had added comfort to their home.  He wondered if Justin would want their furniture in their new home or would he want to start life fresh again.  He realized it made no difference to him; Justin was home and the physical space was a place for them to be together. 

Shaking his head at his growing lesbian thoughts, he crept out of their bed and went to the kitchen to start some coffee. As the coffee was brewing, he started making the necessary arrangements for them to move to one of the suites in the city.  His first call was to Cynthia.

"Good morning, Brian.  Are you working from home today?" She asked casually, mentally arranging the work day for either option, staying at home or coming into the office.  She clicked on the icon on her desktop that opened his calendar so she could review his day.

"Neither.  Justin wants to move.  I suggested we go to the Signature Suites.  I know we have a suite on reserve there most of the time. The execs from Templeton are coming in next week and they were going to use the suite, but we can put them up somewhere else.  Is anyone else scheduled to use the suite in the next few weeks? Being in a place with a door man would make Justin feel safer right now."

Cynthia knew better than to comment on the sudden development and instead clicked on the calendar that held the information regarding their upcoming out of town clients.  She clicked through several screens, viewing the information.

"Templeton is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday next week, but after that we don't have anyone coming in town until next month.  That gives you at least three weeks if we put the Templeton crew in a different place."

Brian nodded his head as he bit the corner of his upper lip.  "Great. That gives us at least a month, maybe longer to find a new place.  We can always put the clients somewhere else. They aren't going to know the suite is different.  Call the hotel and book a new suite for the Templeton clients and make sure the hotel knows to add the normal amenities."

"No problem.  Anything else you want me to do?"

"I haven't looked at my computer this morning.  Is there anything that is pressing requiring my immediate attention?"

Cynthia clicked on her Outlook program reviewing the emails she had sent and also clicked on Brian's in box.  As his assistant, she had access to his email and for situations like today, it was very much appreciated. 

"No.  Ted and I can handle anything that is out there.  Take care of Justin and we'll see you in a few days.  I'll also call the Shadyside and have the suite readied for you and Justin."  She scribbled on a pad nearby to make notes; this was not how she envisioned her morning. She would do anything for these men and today's request was easy enough.  She was saddened by Brian's statement regarding the need to move, but understood where Justin's mindset was since the fiasco in their waiting room.

"I'll check in later.  You know how to reach me."

"Boss, we'll hold down the fort.  You take care of Justin and give him a big hug for me."  Cynthia often teased Brian about Justin.  She had a fondness for Justin and it didn't have anything to do with his being her boss. Technically, Kinnetik was his business as well as Brian's since they were married, but her feelings for him had nothing to do with his and Brian's relationship.  Justin was a great man and she loved him just like she did Brian.  It bothered her, knowing all the pain he'd experienced in the last few years.  Hopefully, things would settle down for him and Brian.  They both deserved wonderful things in life.

Brian made a call to a moving company, even though he felt they would only be taking some of their clothing and other essential items for now.  He did not feel like dealing with packing their belongings and the hassle of relocating.  Money could buy a lot of services.  As he finished his first cup of coffee, he heard Justin in the bedroom and walked toward their sanctuary.

Bringing a cup of coffee for Justin with him, he placed it on the night stand next to Justin.  Sitting on the bed, he leaned over and kissed his partner, taking in his unique taste and smell.  Even after all these years, he did not tire of kissing Justin and actually found it one of the more pleasing things about his morning.  Kissing  sleepy Justin, enjoying his movements as he slowly woke up and returned the kiss was a guilty pleasure.  Justin sometimes complained that he wanted to wake up first before Brian started his good morning kiss, but Brian ignored his request.  Kissing Justin half asleep was different than kissing him when he was fully awake.  There was an innocence and slowness to it.  He really could not describe it, but he knew it was most enjoyable.

"Coffee?  I smell coffee." Justin sat up in bed and turned toward the cup, taking it off the night stand.   Taking a welcome sip, he smiled.  "I won't ask how long you've been up.  I know it's probably been hours. I will ask why you aren't dressed for work.  You said something about a conference call to Leo this morning."

"You don't forget much.  I called Cynthia and told her we were busy today.  She'll take the call for me.  I may be very talented, Justin, but I cannot be at work and decide what I need to complete my wardrobe at our new abode at the same time."

Justin scrunched his eyes in confusion.

"You told me you wanted to move and I suggested we move to one of the suites that Kinnetik reserves in the city.  Does this sound vaguely familiar?"  Brian leaned over and kissed Justin again, tasting the coffee on his tongue.  "I've contacted the movers and they will be here this afternoon.  They're going to pack our clothes and any other essential items for us.  Otherwise it would take quite a while to move."

"Brian. That will cost a fortune."

"It's only money, Justin.  I was serious about your request.  I want you to feel safe and there is no need to stay here while you pack all this shit.  We can take our clothing and any other items you want and set up housekeeping in the suite while we decide where to move."

"You're still okay with moving?" It was difficult to look at Brian directly, fearing what he would see on his face.  Justin could always read Brian's gestures and mannerisms better than anyone and while Brian kept insisting he was fine with moving, Justin recognized the slight hesitation in his voice and the small frown on his lips.  He knew Brian would do whatever he wanted, but now in the light of day, he just wasn't sure he had really thought about the realities of moving.  

"Nothing has changed since last night.  These are just four walls, Justin.  I chose this place for you.  We've lived here for a while, but we could easily live somewhere else."

Justin drank his coffee, finishing the cup.  He reviewed the last few days and the conversation from last night.  "I guess I better get dressed."  He wondered if he was being irrational or had spoken too quickly about moving.  <i>I'm asking so much and I don't want to disappoint him. Leave it to Brian to call movers who would arrive today and take care of everything.</i>

"Ok."  Brian watched as Justin got out of bed, admiring his ass as well as the other parts of his anatomy.  He was one lucky man to have Justin in his life and that is why he was willing to relocate. 

Justin dressed quickly in a pair of old jeans and a long sleeve T.  Walking into the kitchen, he opened the fridge and got out the orange juice and milk, pouring himself a glass of each.

"You eaten?"

"No.  Pour me some too."  Brian said as he got out two more glasses.

Justin took the bagels out of the bread box and popped two in the toaster oven. Grabbing the cream cheese from the fridge, he placed it on the table and grabbed a small plate and a knife as well.

"Should I make some eggs?"

"No.  I'll make myself a guava juice shake."  Brian said as he got out the ingredients for his own breakfast.

They fixed their respective breakfasts and sat at the table.

Justin took a bite out of his bagel and watched Brian as he finished making his morning shake.  Justin still cringed at the site of a green shake, but he learned many years ago, not to question Brian about his food. 

Looking around their familiar kitchen, he tried to envision living somewhere else and completing this routine in a different place.  He tried visualizing going to work in a different studio, watching tv in a different media room and even making love in a different bedroom, but he couldn't quite wrap his mind around that picture. 

"Brian.  Maybe I was being rash last night.  Maybe we should think about moving." 

Brian was undeterred from Justin's statement.  "Justin, let's not make any decisions right now.  We will relocate to the Signature Suites for a few weeks.  We don't have to put this place on the market today."

"Ok" He ate another bite of his bagel.  "I love you.  Thank you for doing this."

Brian poured his shake into a glass and joined Justin at the table.

After breakfast, they went through their home, deciding what they wanted to take with them to the hotel.  A short time later the movers came and packed up their clothes, DVD's and some personal items.  They drove to the hotel to check in and set up their new home.  The movers were efficient and everything was in place by dinner time. 

While they hadn't moved their possessions, it was still a long day.  At least with bi-weekly maid service, their clothing and personal items were not dusty.  Justin remembered moving his stuff from New York; his allergies bothered him for days from all the dust he stirred up.

Looking around their new home, Brian smiled and was pleased. He didn't have time or energy to deal with the intricacies of setting up "house" and was thankful that money could make things move a lot smoother.   "I think we should christen our new home," Brian said, deciding to enjoy the novelty of a new place.

"I like how you think," Justin said as he started to take off his shirt.  "I feel kind of dirty after all the activity today.  I'm taking a shower.  Want to help wash my back?"

"I'm feeling dirty too."  Brian took off his shirt and tossed it to the side.  Unbuttoning his pants and letting them drop to the floor, he stood naked in front of the shower. 

Justin licked his lips and leaned in to kiss him.  "Let's get clean and then..."

They christened their new home, both enjoying the novelty of a new place.  There really was something to be said about hotel sex being better. While Brian and Justin had enjoyed sex for many years, having sex in their new home put a little more permanence to the move.  They ordered room service at dinner time and sat down to enjoy the stuffed chicken breast with salad and green beans.  There was a small table in the suite and they chose to place their food there rather than eating from the cart table.  Justin separated the food onto plates and they sat down to eat.

"I need to find space for a studio.  Tomorrow, I will start looking.  While the Signature Suites are supposed to be like home, somehow I doubt they would want me making a corner of the area my studio." Justin poured some wine into a glass and took a sip as he gave a half smile.

"Does that mean you're ready to start painting?" Brian took a bite of his chicken as he asked Justin for clarification.

"Yes.  No. I don't know."  Looking down at his plate, he moved the food around without attempting to place some on his fork.  Justin took a sip of his wine and cut into the chicken breast.  "I know I need to complete a few pieces for the upcoming show.  I guess I need to go out to the house and pick up some supplies and the canvases I was working on." He spoke softly, resigned to returning to Britin.

"We talked about this, Justin.  Carol said you have enough pieces for the upcoming show, but she would like a few more for back up.  She also said you could postpone the show for a week or so if you needed to."  Brian wanted to add so much more to his statement, but didn't want to push Justin.  He waited to see where Justin was going to take the conversation.  He looked at Justin's plate, noticing that all the food was still there, just moved around.  He took another bite of his chicken breast.  "The chicken is really good. What do you think?" he asked, hoping to get Justin to eat.  He knew Justin was upset as eating was as natural as breathing for him.

Justin stabbed at a piece of chicken, placing it on his fork and then put his fork down, slapping his hand down on the table. "You're going to work tomorrow, I assume.  You do have a business to run.  I've been thinking all day about what I want to do.  You work and I paint.  That's our life.  If I'm not painting, it is because I'm finalizing a show.  You're going to get up tomorrow morning and go to work and what am I going to do?"  He got out his phone and swiped through to the calendar app.  Reading it aloud, he said, "There's nothing on tomorrow's calendar."  He swiped a few more days forward and said, "and there's nothing on the next few days either.  I usually make some notes to myself regarding ideas or things I need to get finished every few days.  Right now, my life is a blank."  He closed the calendar app and put the phone back in his pocket, looking at Brian.

"I'm not some love sick newlywed waiting eagerly for my husband's return from work so we can screw around all night. Not that I don't like sex, but I can't make that my whole life.   I need something to keep me occupied all day and no, I don't mean busy work.  I need a purpose and if I don't paint, what purpose do I have?"

"Painting is your job and you're not sure you can paint; therefore you're at a loss what to do with yourself."

"Sort of.  I want to paint, but I'm not sure I can."

"You've had times where you weren't painting. What did you do during those periods?"

"I visited friends, went to galleries, hustled my work.  You know what I did."

"Okay."

"Tell me what you're thinking.  I can see you hesitating."  Brian reached out his hand and placed it over Justin's hand.  He smiled his most encouraging smile and looked directly at him. 

"Everything is moving so fast.  I tell you I want to move and a day later, here we are in a new place.  I need life to get back to normal but I'm just not sure what normal is any more."

Brian stood up and walked toward the couch.  Motioning for Justin to join him, he patted his lap and Justin laid his head on Brian's legs as he stretched his body on the cushions.  Brian gently stroked Justin's blond hair, knowing this was calming to his partner.

"I love my studio at Britin.  I have it set up perfectly; the light is wonderful, no matter what time of day it is.  All my supplies are there.  I know the amount of time it would take just to set up the studio, not even factoring in how long it would take to find a space.  And I can't forget the cost- not only to move my current studio but to rent space somewhere else.  I may be making money with my art, but that would seriously cut into the profits.  It would be weeks before I could have a set up like that.  Unlike a living space, where someone can come and pack you up in the morning and deliver your stuff in the afternoon, a studio is personal.  It is a daunting task that I'm not up for at this time."

Justin closed his eyes as he spoke, enjoying the soothing motion of Brian's fingers on his head. 

"So, you want to paint in your current studio at Britin?"

"I guess."

"If you go there to paint, you start to question why you aren't living there." Brian said.  He knew how Justin's mind worked and thought this was the issue, but wanted to check for certain.

"Yes."

"You don't have to live and work in the same space.  I know I spend a lot of time at Kinnetik and sometimes you think I should have a bed there since I'm there so much."

Justin laughed at Brian's comment and Brian was pleased that he added some humor to the situation.

"However, we both know that I need separation from my work and if I didn't have a place to go home to, I probably would work even more than I do now.  Unlike me, your work is dependent on your mindset.  If you wake up at 2:00 in the morning with an idea for a painting, you can't wait to start work.  You need a studio close by."

Justin just nodded his head in agreement.

"Britin is almost an hour away."

"What am I going to do, Brian?  I love my studio, but as you said it's not realistic to keep it if I'm so far away.  I guess I will have to go looking for new space tomorrow."

"Not necessarily.  You have your sketch books here.  Why don't you work on some sketches, spend some time with Gus, visit your mom, go play with Daphne.  The court date is in 5 days.  Don't push yourself to do anything.  If you get the urge to paint, call me or Emmett, or Debbie or any one of our "family".  I'm sure someone can go with you to the house.  We have a state of the art media room and cook's kitchen.  Either of those can keep your companion busy while you create and you won't be alone."

"I don't want to be a burden."

"A very wise man once told me "A man's gotta know when to ask for help."  Asking for help isn't weak, it just shows you're human."  Brian leaned down and placed a small kiss on Justin's lips. 

"I guess that man was very wise."

"I think he's the wisest man I know.  After all, he got me to be his partner and that was very wise indeed.

"Well, this wise man thinks you need to retire to the bedroom and pound him into the mattress.  I've had enough thinking for the day and need some distraction."

"I think that can be arranged."

Brian placed the cart outside the door and joined Justin for a night of lovemaking, reaffirming their commitment to each other.

TBC